MADRID, 18 (EUROPA PRESS)
The military junta that has ruled Myanmar since the February 2021 coup d'état set the election date for December 28 this Monday, despite the war and after more than a year of postponing the polls.
The European Union Electoral Commission has indicated that the elections will allow for the selection of the composition of Parliament and local authorities, in elections it has already described as "democratic," according to a statement. However, the opposition continues to insist on the need to boycott them.
The decision comes shortly after junta leader Min Aung Hlaing declared himself interim president of the country in late July and announced the possibility of holding these elections, a move that marks a significant shift within the Burmese leadership.
Although the reform introduced alters the structure of the junta, it constitutes an attempt by Hlaing to tighten the military grip on the electoral process in order to strengthen the army's role in Burmese politics, as critics claim.
Hlaing himself, who is seeking greater international support, has asserted that the elections "must be held" despite the fact that thousands of people have died since the coup in the Asian country.
Critics continue to denounce the Army for the violations and abuses it has committed and warn that this electoral process will be a "fraud" and seeks only to "maintain power" for the current military leadership. Therefore, they insist on the importance of implementing measures to ensure this process is carried out "successfully."
